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Jamra's Inquiries
Goals # Establish himself as a financier and businessman involved in the shipment and import/export of goods. # Buy up interests in ships, caravans, or ventures to consolidate them into a trading concern. # Negotiate with and buy or incorporate the other coops to establish a near monopoly. # Expand into the direct market of goods to the people of Guavira and the government. # Establish a production facility extracting the natural resources of Mahida to turn into finished goods or high quality raw materials to ship abroad. # Become a large landholder in the cleared periphery surrounding the city. # Expand the safe zone farther upriver and establish his own power base either inland or on the barrier islands along the coast. # Construct a set of portals to the outer planes and use some for resource extraction (paraelemental plane of salt, elemental plane of earth) and some for the purchase of exotic goods that can then be sold on the Prime Material. # Regain the wealth, stature, and position he once had and prove to his mother that her blood bred true and he is worthy of her love. Things Jamra wants to know Identities of the airship captains/owners. How many airships are there total? Is there one that is under repair or an owner in debt right now that might need investment/assistance? Are the coops open to new investors? How much would it cost to invest in a single voyage? What would be the estimated time and return on investment? What sort of banking sector exists in the city? Are there loans available? What are standard interest rates and periods? What would be the cost to buy property in the city? In each district? What is the cost to buy land outside the city? On the islands? Along the river? In the farmland? In the forest? In the unexplored territory? What is the nature of the uninhabited area close to the city? Is it radioactive and will kill you if you go in? Is there screwed up physics? Or is it just dangerous and wild, but possible to tame? Can I buy some of it? Given that the government only owns 1 ship, do they buy from government contractors in lieu of sourcing it all themselves? Who do they buy from and how do you become one? If there is one main contractor, goal is to investigate them and either partner with them or discover evidence of malfeasance sufficient to get them shut down, once I have sufficient leverage to replace their interests. Is it possible to establish a custom tax/regulation agreement with the clerks to avoid more red tape than competitors and gain an advantage? How are new regulations proposed? Is regulatory capture possible? What are the currently extant noble families? Have any ascended to their station recently? How has it been done in the past? Things Jamra has learned or surmised about Guavira Government Far reaching bureaucracy, at least in intent. Seems quite easy to subvert it in the outer districts. Security is tighter closer in. Employees low paid and vulnerable to bribery when not prevented by scruples or observers. Clerks control by 1 sister seems to have lead to an abundance of regulation to exert power. Economy Citizens in outer districts live in relative poverty, land/buildings seem relatively cheap there. Inn w/ ~30 patrons selling space on floor for 1cp per night * 30 nights = 900cp per month * 12 months = 10,800 cp per year * 7.5 years = 81,000 cp initial outlay, or 810 gp maximum cost to buy the land and construct the building. Substantial bureaucracy and difficulty getting raw materials in the surrounding area implies that the majority of the cost is in taxes and import of building materials, rather than labor or land prices. This makes sense given the apparent low living expenses and status as a recent colony leading to large amounts of open land. The land itself may even be free from the Crown when put to productive use, to encourage growth of the tax base. If those costs can be mitigated via agreements as government contractor and sourcing local materials, significant development would be possible. Most of Guavira's exports are in aquatic natural resources, extricable minerals, or as yet unidentified finished goods. Large scale exploitation of the rich natural resources of an uninhabited continent has not occurred. The economy appears highly deflationary, with growth held down by reliance on specie, limited development of the natural resources available, abundant regulation, and low wages. Airships One airship is owned by the queens 2-3 owned by coops of citizens 1 ship owned by its captain Others by one person